Trunk-fixture



(No Model.) O. A. TAYLOR.

TRUNK FIXTURE.

Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

\ N. PETzRs Phnmumo m ber, Washin ton. D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICEO CHARLES A. TAYLOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR 'lO JOHN H. SESSIONS, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

TRUNK-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,119, datedSeptember 4, 1888.

Application filed March 5, IBFB. Serial No. 266.270.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. TAYLOR, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Trunk'Fixtures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and economical fixturefor trunk-trays, whereby said tray can be closed into the lid ofthetrunk and maintained there when the lid is open, and which automaticallyreleases said tray when the lid of the trunk is closed onto the bodythereof, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and asillustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a transversevertical section of the top of atrunk in which the tray is located,showing my improvements applied thereto. 2 is a front view of myimproved fixture. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, and Figs. at and 5show side views of modifications of the same.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the body of a trunk, 13 the lidthereof, and C the tray, set within said trunk, resting on cleats orledges in the body of the same, hinged in the usual manner at the rearto the upper edge of said body, and of such height that its upper halfis within thelid when the trunk is closed.

The front horizontal edges of the bodies of trunks are generallyre-enforced by placing a longitudinal strip, a, along the inner surfacethereof flush with and parallel to said edge, and the front surface oftrays that arise above the horizontal plane of the upper edges of thebodies of the trunks are beveled from the up per edge and the lower edgetoward and to the horizontal line intersected by and on the same planeas the upper edges of the bodies. This beveling is intended tofacilitate the opening or swinging of the tray up out of the body andtoward or into the lid of a trunk. This common construction affords methe opportunity of using the spring D, which consists, preferably, of astrip of flat spring metal of a length less than the height of the trayand provided with a suitable hole, I), in its upper half and with ahorizontal slot, 0, preferably midway (No model.)

between its side edges above said hole 0 and near the upper end of saidspring 1). This spring is bent and curved outward, so that its normalshape in profile is substantially that shown in Fig. 3, and it issecured vertically, preferably at about the center of length, to thetray, so that one half is above and the other below the vertex of thedouble bevel of the front surface thereof. It (the spring) is secured atits lower end to said tray by suitable means, and its upper end is heldto the same by a suitable nail, screw, or rivet, d, which passes throughslot 0, and the head of which is greater in diameter than the width ofsaid slot.

When a tray with my improved spring D is closed into the body ofa trunk,the said spring is depressed against the tray by striking and movingdown past the re-enforcing strip a. This depressing of the spring orstraightening out of its normal curvature causes its upper end to movevertically toward the upper edge of the tray. This vertical movement isaccommodated by the slot 0. \Vhen, however, the tray is lifted, or,rather, oscillated, out of the body of the trunk, the said spring bulgesoutward, as shown in Fig. 3, and when closed into the lid of the trunkis caught by the lug e, se cured to and projecting in from the innersurface of said lid, slipping into said hole b, thus preventing the trayfrom falling out of said lid while the same is open. By pressing thespring inward, or by closing the lid down upon the body of the trunk,said spring is moved off of the lug e, and thus releases the said trayfrom said lid.

Instead of making the slot 0 in the said spring, its upper end could beplaced through and moved in a suit-able staple projecting from the tray.

Fig. 4 shows a modification of my improved spring-fixture, and consists,brief] y speaking, of asuitably-curved wire spring, E, which, instead ofbeing secured to the front of the tray, is secured to the side thereofcontiguous to the front surface, so that its curved length bulges outpast the plane of the front surface and is provided with a shoulder oroffset, f, which, when closed into the lid, snaps into a suitable recessmade in register therewith in the inner surface thereof.

Fig. 5 is substantially the same as the modifications shown in Fig. 4,except that, instead of being made of wire, it is made of cast metal,the upper end of the casting E being forced outward by the constantpressure of a spring, and the curved extension g having a shoulder whichsnaps into a suitable recess the same as does the wire extension of thedevice shown in Fig. 4 when closed into the lid.

What I claim is- 1. The conibinatiomwith the body of a trunk havingstrip a secured against the inner surface of the front upper edgethereof and alid, of a tray resting within and hinged at the rear tosaid body and arising into the lid of said trunk, and a spring having ashoulder formed therein secured to said tray, which catches uponshoulder of the lid when the same is open, and which automaticallyreleases itself from said lid when oscillated into said body part of thetrunk.

2. The combination,with the body ofa trunk having a strip, a, seen redto the upper inner of the same, of the tray hinged at the rear to saidbody, a spring, D, secured to the front of said tray, so as to engage invertical register with said lug, having an opening, b, and a slot, 0,and a rivet, d, as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES A. TAYLOR.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK D. THOMASON, THOMAS A. SMYTH.

